


I know it well

by cobaltsiren



Category: Skins (UK)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-20
Updated: 2012-09-20
Packaged: 2017-11-14 15:52:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/517024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cobaltsiren/pseuds/cobaltsiren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That secret that you know, that you don't know how to tell, it fucks with you honor, and it teases your head.</p>
<p>Short fic set before Series 1. Inspired by the uncut Series 1 trailer and 'Unseen Skins: I Mostly Do'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I know it well

There was a certain point in the night when Cassie knew to be waiting.  The party was noisy, as always, but she could hear their screams over the crowd.  She sat in the chair and pulled her knees to her chin, ready for everything to fall apart, and then back together in a different shape.  
  
\---  
  
She woke up in a bathtub.  It wasn't an unusual occurrence on nights like these.  The last thing she remembered was making out with Tony on a bed covered in foam, stripping down to her bra and panties.  She was mostly clothed again now, but she didn't know the other occupant of her impromptu bed.  The girl wasn't awake, and it probably didn't matter.  Michelle stood, stretched until her spine snapped back into place, and went to find Tony.  
  
This just confirmed it.  Tony was an utter wanker.  She had only passed out for maybe twenty minutes and he was rolling on the bed with some posh blond slut.  It certainly wasn't the first time but she was determined that  _this_  time would be the last.  (If only she remembered the next morning.)  
  
It was always the same fight.  Tony tried to bluster through with his trademark charm, and Michelle threw angry, accurate accusations.  He looked penitent, but 'I'm sorry' and 'It's the drugs' can only cover so many indiscretions.  When Michelle had covered his many infidelities and moved on to name-calling and slandering his dick size, Tony brought up the nipples.  She stormed off and he told Sid to go give her a drink and some sympathy.  It's not like Sid could resist the chance to just be around her, and a few more drinks would make it that much easier to procure her forgiveness through forgetfulness.    
  
\---  
  
Sid was always a little too late though, because Cassie knew where to wait.  Michelle stumbled into the bathroom and stared at herself in the mirror.  There was nothing wrong with her tits, was there?  Her eyes finally focused on the smudged word written in lipstick across her reflection.  _Cassandra_.  Cassie was in the next room, with some pills and a spacy smile.  A few well-placed jokes about the tosser who had tried to pull her and she and Michelle were sharing the seat, high and laughing again.    
  
Despite the fact that pills were the only thing Cassie had eaten in the past two days, she was still more aware than Michelle.  It was a familiar pattern, comforting her best friend after another fight with her boyfriend.  The switch from laughter to tears came only a few minutes earlier than usual.  Cassie pulled Michelle into a room that offered the closest thing to privacy the party offered.  Michelle cursed and sniffled, and Cassie nestled her curly brown head into a thin shoulder.  Sniffles became sighs and Cassie leaned down to kiss her forehead just as Michelle lifted her face to ask if her make-up was utterly ruined.    
  
The question never left her lips, and it didn't matter.  It was swallowed between them, just as Cassie pushed down the knowledge that kisses and tears only lasted for the evening.  Tomorrow Michelle would ask Cassie to bring the drugs to the next party she and Tony were throwing.  Tomorrow she might not even know to think twice about asking Cassie to shag a particular friend of Tony's.  Favors like that between friends were nothing, of course.    
  
Tonight though, the tangle of their limbs was everything, it was enough.   She ran her fingers through Michelle's curls and took a deep breath, as if she could inhale and save up the feeling of being needed.   Michelle whimpered, and fixing that was even easier, more familiar, than wiping away tears.  
  
\---  
  
On nights like these, it was like she could see the future.  She knew too well, though, that it was only because of a more perfect knowledge of the past.  If Michelle didn't notice Cassie had a few conspicuous bruises the next day, well, Michelle was lovely and had plenty of things to distract her.  Cassie had already steeled herself for this.  She wasn't eating again today, because she felt empty wishes hanging around her like weight.  Control made things better.  When Tony and Michelle walked into college hand in hand, she would be fine again (mostly).


End file.
